Tag Archives: culture

Post navigation

It’s been a month or so since Brittany Maynard, the 29 year old with terminal cancer ended her life via assisted suicide. There have been plenty of debates and discussion about the moral issues surrounding her decision, but few have considered the impact in the world of social media. By announcing her plans online, she opened the issue up to a much younger audience, and in doing so,

One of my favorite quotes is from writer Anne Lamott: “You don’t always have to chop with the sword of truth, you can point with it too.” In the age of the internet, most of us do a lot of chopping and not enough pointing. In the best instances, we’re upset and trying to right a wrong, and in the worst instances, Internet anonymity has created vicious critics and quite a few crazy loons. Either way, I think

We’re seeing a lot of criticism recently of pastors, writers, speakers, filmmakers as well as others about how they share the Christian message with the outside culture. Some are criticized for making it too easy – they lead with the “grace” message, and are hesitant to talk about tough issues like sin, hell, or punishment. On the other side, those who preach a more serious message about tough subjects are labelled as “out of date,” “insensitive” and “hard core.” I know the debate well because over the years, I’ve had friends and clients on both sides of the argument. But here’s the problem: It’s the wrong argument, and here’s why:

Living in Los Angeles, I’m constantly meeting people who had a breakthrough moment sometime in their career. Perhaps they acted in a successful TV series, wrote a screenplay for an acclaimed movie, or published a bestselling book. But after that success, they dropped off the radar, unable to keep the momentum going. Perhaps that’s happened to you. Your

Every July 4th in America, we wrestle with how “patriotic” our church services and Christian programming should be. There is a massive shift in our thinking about mixing our religious faith and politics today, and recently, a magazine interviewed me on the issue. I thought you might be interested in the conversation:

Something we invariably witness on July 4th Sunday is video on the wide screens at some churches featuring fighter jets, soldiers, and waving flags. Yes – Jesus used militaristic language in the New Testament. As the Park Forum devotional puts it: “In a time when Galilee already had a powerful and dangerous ruler (Herod Antipas), Jesus was a revolutionary. When Jesus spoke of his purpose and mission, he often used war-like language. For example, in Matthew 10, he said, “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.”” But what we can’t forget is

The Supreme Court’s decision in the Hobby Lobby case has brought Christian cultural engagement back into the limelight. There have been some wild blog posts and other responses in light of the announcement – a shocking number completely hysterical. But we need to remember that while the Supreme Court sided with Hobby Lobby, the wider culture is moving in a different direction. As Ed Stetzer reported after the ruling, “A LifeWay Research study conducted in November of 2012, shows most Americans support mandatory contraception coverage through ObamaCare. In other words,

Kathleen and I are teaching at a media conference in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Since we’re culture hounds, one night we went out to see a performance of the Tango. The dance was born during the 1890s along the Río de la Plata, the river between Uruguay and Argentina, and grew from there. The audience at the venue we attended was largely tourists – although we sat next to a group of very artistic older fans. In spite of all the tourist atmosphere, it was a fascinating performance, and as I watched, I thought of how many similar art forms were born out of poverty, war, or

Culture is more important than vision. From experts like John Maxwell to Sam Chand, that premise is a critical leadership principle. The reason is simple: An organization’s culture sets the tone for everything else, and leaders are responsible for creating an organization’s culture. I don’t care how great or noble your vision – if you don’t have a capable and vibrant culture, then very little will happen. A strong culture inspires people, and

Post navigation

About Phil

An internationally known writer and speaker, Phil Cooke has actually produced media programming in nearly 50 countries around the world. In the process, has been shot at, survived two military coups, fallen out of a helicopter, and in Africa, been threatened with prison. And during that time – through his company Cooke Pictures in Burbank, California – he’s helped some of the largest nonprofit organizations and leaders in the world use the media to tell their story in a changing, disrupted culture.

Recent Comments

Facebook Likes

About the author

An internationally known writer and speaker, Phil Cooke has actually produced media programming in nearly 50 countries around the world. In the process, has been shot at, survived two military coups, fallen out of a helicopter, and in Africa, been threatened with prison. And during that time – through his company Cooke Pictures in Burbank, California – he’s helped some of the largest nonprofit organizations and leaders in the world use the media to tell their story in a changing, disrupted culture.